What happened
On 12 May 2006, a Pelican PL microlight, registration G-MPAC, was performing a private flight near Headcorn. During the return leg of the flight, the pilot observed another aircraft on the runway at Clipgate Farm. Consequently, the pilot decided to rejoin the circuit to perform a second approach.
While executing the final approach with full flaps selected, the pilot flared the aircraft at a slightly high altitude. This maneuver resulted in the aircraft bouncing upon contact with the runway. During the subsequent touchdown, the nose wheel collapsed. The aircraft skidded to a halt, resulting in damage to the exhaust system, the front wheel, and shock loading to the engine. There were no injuries to the pilot.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. The inquiry focused on the sequence of events during the landing phase and the pilot's control inputs during the bounce. The examination established that the aircraft's nose-down attitude during the landing roll was a result of the pilot relaxing the control column following the initial bounce.